You are strongly encouraged to discuss these questions among yourselves on this board. I will monitor the discussions and participate in them from time to time.
A) The Protestant Reformation was as much a cultural revolution as it was a movement in religious doctrine. Discuss the culture of the Latin Church in the late Middle Ages and give reasons why it was spiritually unsatisfying for so many. Discuss Christian Humanism and how it reflects changing cultural ideals in Western Europe. What does the "sincerity threshold" refer to and how did it relate to the appeal of Catholic or Protestant doctrine in various parts of Europe?
B) Although Protestant reformers claimed to base their views on the eternal word of the Gospel, the Protestant movement went through many evolutions in the sixteenth century, often in response to contemporary events and developments. How did events like the Peasant's War and the Anabaptist movement change Protestant views of state authority? How did religious war contribute to the development of new models of state authority such as constitutionalism and absolutism?
C) The Catholic Reformation has often been labeled as a "counter-reformation" in the sense that it was a direct response to the Protestant movement. However many historians argue that the Catholic Reformation was its own movement that would have occurred in some form or another without Protestantism. Discuss movements to reform the Church in the sixteenth century including Christian Humanism and the Society of Jesus. Why did it take so long for the Council of Trent to take place? How did the Council of Trent reaffirm Catholic culture? How did it change the Catholic Church?
For question A, when discussing the late medieval church I think that it's important to bring in events like the Spanish Inquisition along with the evolving greed of the church to better understand the state of mind of many of the supports of reformation. While many of the apparent discrepancies were between the actual text of the Bible and the traditions inherent within the church, the imprisionment and execution of thousands of people must have had some extreme effects upon the minds of many.
ReplyDeleteWhen addressing question C, part of the Catholic Reformation's purpose involved distinguishing itself from the Protestant movement and correcting abuses that had materialized in its own Catholic Church. This may not have been perceived as politically advantageous to some in power within the Catholic Church. I believe it is important to consider the Catholic Church's motivation for convening the Council of Trent, as well as the religious and political disputes that played a significant role in hindering its progress.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to part A, the basic concept of the "sincerity threshold" was that people felt that just attending church and "going through the motions" of mass without actually engaging in spiritual worship was not good enough. I think this concept, majorly influenced by Augustinian theories, definitely made the Protestant doctrine more appealing since the Catholic Church did not even perform Mass procedures correctly and some clergy members were often impure. People sought more from their church experience than just attending, and the Protestant doctrine certainly persuaded many and appealed to their interests of being sincere in worship and gaining spiritual satisfaction.
ReplyDeleteI think that the "sincerity threshold" is bigger than the people at the time who believed they were unhappy with the church. It seems more like a tool a historian would use to analyze how the people of the time viewed the church. So that if people at the time were unhappy with the church and felt that going through the rituals was not enough to satisfy their spirituality that was why they wished to change. As in Italy where they were surrounded and immersed in Catholic religion they felt safe in their afterlife. Back in the northern regions in europe with absentee bishops and a lack luster mass they lost the comfort in the familiar and sought out a more indepth religious experience. I dont believe that this was something that people at the time sat back and were like "hmm... my sincerty threshold is very low.."
ReplyDeleteThe Catholic Reformation was not a “counter-reformation” to the Protestant Reformation because of the time that elapsed between the beginning of the Protestant Reformation and the convening of the Council of Trent. If the Roman Catholic Church desired to combat the Protestant Reformation it would have taken greater actions against Martin Luther and his followers. The Catholic Church was well aware of many of the abuses that the Protestants addressed during the reformation. I believe that the Catholic Church waited the approximately twenty-eight years after the Protestant Reformation to reform itself because it did not want to look like it was changing in response to the Protestant Reformation.
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